Baker to the DL, LeMahieu up

[BCVM22]

Tweets flying.

 

@valleyshookPod Katt

Various LSU players and Cubs bloggers like @bleedcubbieblue are confirming that 08-09 INF D.J LeMahieu has gotten his call to The Show.

 

@valleyshookPod Katt

@bleedcubbieblue looks like the cubs called up one of ours, D.J LeMahieu.

 

@bleedcubbieblueAl Yellon

Heard this is true, Baker to DL RT @valleyshook: @bleedcubbieblue looks like the cubs called up one of ours, D.J LeMahieu.

 

http://twitter.com/#!/valleyshook/status/75033615163068416

 

http://twitter.com/#!/valleyshook/status/75001062691581952

 

http://twitter.com/#!/bleedcubbieblue/status/75030300828241921

Edited May 30, 2011 by BCVM22

[Illini Iceman]

With the amount of playing time Baker has been getting lately they probably could have just gone the Bobby Scales route.

[Northside Blues]

will it ever stop raining cub players on the DL?

 

how has kerry wood avoided this?

 

was lemaheiu on the 40 man? youd think the cubs would have called ryan flaherty first.

Edited May 30, 2011 by Northside Blues

[Northside Blues]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/sports/cubs/ct-spt-0530-bits-cubs-pirates-chicago20110529,0,5164600.story

[BCVM22]

was lemaheiu on the 40 man?

 

Nope. They'll need another 40-man move. One figures it would be one of the fringe pitchers (one of Smit, Dolis, Cabrera, Stevens?) getting bumped, or perhaps Byrd getting moved to the 60-day DL.

[Guest]

was lemaheiu on the 40 man?

 

Nope. They'll need another 40-man move. One figures it would be one of the fringe pitchers (one of Smit, Dolis, Cabrera, Stevens?) getting bumped, or perhaps Byrd getting moved to the 60-day DL.

 

Probably not Dolis.

[Illini Iceman]

was lemaheiu on the 40 man?

 

Nope. They'll need another 40-man move. One figures it would be one of the fringe pitchers (one of Smit, Dolis, Cabrera, Stevens?) getting bumped, or perhaps Byrd getting moved to the 60-day DL.

 

I guess it could be Byrd since it doesn't seem likely he will be back in 60 days but I think they could probably also get Berg through waivers to remove him from the 40 man roster pretty easily at this point as well.

[BCVM22]

I think they could probably also get Berg through waivers to remove him from the 40 man roster pretty easily at this point as well.

 

Probably. They do seem to like him as a passenger on the Iowa/Chicago shuttle whom they can call up when someone is hurt or ineffective and use as often as need be, but maybe that's changed with Lopez here now and maybe they feel there are any number of arms that can be that shuttle pitcher just as well.

 

We'll find out in the morning, I guess.

[italianocubsfan7]

Is LaMahieu even going to play?

[dew1679666265]

Is LaMahieu even going to play?

 

That's my concern with this move. Castro won't be benched, Barney is unlikely to be benched and there's no way Aramis would be benched as well. If LeMahieu isn't starting, I don't like calling him up over lesser prospects.

 

If they're thinking about a platoon with Barney (who has cooled off quite a bit of late) at second or just starting him full-time at second, then I'm very intrigued by this move.

[Little Slide Rooter]

will it ever stop raining cub players on the DL?

 

how has kerry wood avoided this?

 

was lemaheiu on the 40 man? youd think the cubs would have called ryan flaherty first.

I mentioned this in the locked thread of the same topic. Flaherty is older, hits for more power, and more importantly, has played pretty much every position but C, P, and maybe 1B. And if all they want is an extra body, just bring up Scales.

[rawaction]

Is LaMahieu even going to play?

 

That's my concern with this move. Castro won't be benched, Barney is unlikely to be benched and there's no way Aramis would be benched as well. If LeMahieu isn't starting, I don't like calling him up over lesser prospects.

 

If they're thinking about a platoon with Barney (who has cooled off quite a bit of late) at second or just starting him full-time at second, then I'm very intrigued by this move.

 

That's a funny statement to read, but yeah it's pretty true. If the goal is to get a prospect that's a potential utility guy some major league experience, then why not the older, better hitting, more experienced, Ryan Flaherty? If the goal is to fill the roster with another versatile IF guy that can hit off the bench, then why not Scales?

[Keener98]

Looks like Jeff Stevens has been DFA'd to make room on the 40 man for DJ. Stevens should clear waivers Id imagine.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

So begins the era of The LeMahieu. Here's hoping he takes 2B from Barney.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Looks like Jeff Stevens has been DFA'd to make room on the 40 man for DJ. Stevens should clear waivers Id imagine.

Don't be so sure. Decent middle relief is hard to come by, and I wouldn't be shocked at all if someone plucked him. If your a team in need of a reliever, may as well take him, and if he sucks, let him go.

[Guest]

Is LaMahieu even going to play?

 

That's my concern with this move. Castro won't be benched, Barney is unlikely to be benched and there's no way Aramis would be benched as well. If LeMahieu isn't starting, I don't like calling him up over lesser prospects.

 

If they're thinking about a platoon with Barney (who has cooled off quite a bit of late) at second or just starting him full-time at second, then I'm very intrigued by this move.

 

That's a funny statement to read, but yeah it's pretty true. If the goal is to get a prospect that's a potential utility guy some major league experience, then why not the older, better hitting, more experienced, Ryan Flaherty? If the goal is to fill the roster with another versatile IF guy that can hit off the bench, then why not Scales?

 

Yeah, I'd rather have called up Flaherty who needs to be protected on the 40-man this offseason anyways.

[dew1679666265]

Looks like Jeff Stevens has been DFA'd to make room on the 40 man for DJ. Stevens should clear waivers Id imagine.

Don't be so sure. Decent middle relief is hard to come by, and I wouldn't be shocked at all if someone plucked him. If your a team in need of a reliever, may as well take him, and if he sucks, let him go.

 

Yeah, a low-payroll team like the Royals or Twins would do well to pick up Stevens. He still needs work, but he's cheap and has good stuff. I'd have much rather they DFA Berg or somebody with lesser stuff than Stevens. I don't like that move at all.

[TruffleShuffle]

stevens is almost 28. at some point a guy goes from "still needs some work" to "will never be good"

[HossmanGT]

Does LeMahieu's promotion now "start the clock" on his arbitration/free agency timeline? What if he is immediately sent back down after Baker returns from the DL? Will his clock continue to run based on his initial promotion?

[Guest]

In terms of arbitration and free agency, you only accumulate service time by being on the MLB 25 man roster or the DL*. So Lemahieu started his service clock today, but it stops again the moment he gets sent back down. A good example that someone mentioned in another thread recently is Corey Patterson. He made his debut in 2001, but wasn't arbitration eligible until before the 2005 season.

 

 

*Players called up after the rosters expand in September do not accumulate service time.

[Northside Blues]

what are the odds that lemahieu becomes good enough for us to worry about his arbitration clock? it isnt as if he's bryce harper. we should worry about that if he ever becomes good enough to worry about that.

[CubColtPacer]

what are the odds that lemahieu becomes good enough for us to worry about his arbitration clock? it isnt as if he's bryce harper. we should worry about that if he ever becomes good enough to worry about that.

 

By the time he's good enough to worry about that it's too late because the damage is already done. It was a good question because the team should be proactive about such things instead of reactive. In LeMahieu's case though his clock shouldn't be badly affected.

 

And while LeMahieu is never going to be a star, he's a pretty safe bet to be a major leaguer. The only reason he wouldn't is if both his defense at 2nd is just horrid and the Cubs don't value his skill set at 3rd or another position. His batting average for a guy without blazing speed suggests he's an elite line drive hitter. That skill translates very well to the majors. He's almost certainly a .290+ type of hitter. Those guys have a place on a major league roster even if his power doesn't develop at all (and it still could considering how tall he is-he was hitting for more power this year after bulking up this winter).

[dew1679666265]

stevens is almost 28. at some point a guy goes from "still needs some work" to "will never be good"

 

And the latter is more likely than the former at this point, and probably much moreso. However, as long as he's cheap and has good stuff he's a better option than Berg - who's cheap and doesn't have good stuff.

 

He's not likely to be a major improvement for any team, but Stevens is much more likely to be claimed than Berg.